Jesse Caputo

Jesse Caputo is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Environmental Conservation at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he contributes to research on private forest landowners and their role in national forest resource management. He is based at Holdsworth Hall and actively collaborates with the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program.

His research centers on understanding the motivations, values, and behaviors of private landowners—including individuals, families, trusts, and NGOs—who collectively manage nearly 60% of forested land in the United States. Using social science theories and survey methodologies, he investigates how forest ownership shapes personal identity, wellbeing, and ecological outcomes.

Dr. Caputo plays a key role in implementing and analyzing data from the National Woodland Owner Survey (NWOS), which informs policy and outreach strategies related to private forestry. His work emphasizes the social and physical ecosystem services delivered by private forests to landowners and surrounding communities.

He has not listed any scientific awards or publications in the provided text, but his research contributes significantly to the intersection of environmental conservation and human dimensions of natural resource management.

While no formal advisees or grants are mentioned, his affiliation with a major federal data program suggests involvement in funded research and potential mentorship within the department. He operates within a research team associated with the FIA program and NWOS, contributing social science expertise to a large-scale, long-term environmental monitoring effort.

This team likely includes federal researchers, sociologists, foresters, and data analysts working collaboratively across institutions to understand and support sustainable private forest management in the U.S.